Valparaiso University baseball player Nate Palace continued his hot start to his senior campaign by launching a home run, but the remainder of the Crusader bats were quiet in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to UAB at Regions Field in Birmingham, Ala. Easton Rhodehouse (Gilbert, Ariz. / Highland) continued his strong start to the season with 2 2/3 scoreless frames of relief.

How It Happened

Valpo played from behind early as Thomas Johns ripped a run-scoring double in the first.

Nate Palace (Westlake Village, Calif. / Oaks Christian) leveled the score in the fourth inning when he clubbed a solo homer to center, his second big fly of the season.

The Blazers regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, when Stephen Dobbs lashed a two-run single down the left-field line, a hit that proved to be the pivotal blow of the day.

The Crusaders pulled within a run when freshman Christian Barczi (Naperville, Ill. / Naperville North) came through with a two-out, pinch-hit single in the ninth to drive in Sam Shaikin (West Hills, Calif. / Chatsworth) who had doubled to start the frame.

Scott Kapers (Schererville, Ind. / Mount Carmel), who reached via a hit by pitch, stood at second base as the potential tying run with two outs in the ninth, but UAB’s Thomas Lowery struck out James Stea to secure the save.

Inside the Game

Valpo starter Wes Gordon (Waukegan, Ill. / Warren [Lake County]) took the loss to drop to 0-1. He scattered eight hits and was charged with three earned runs over 5 1/3 innings.

Rhodehouse has not allowed a run yet this season in 5 2/3 innings of work. He notched three strikeouts on Saturday.

Chad Jacob (Irvine, Calif. / Woodbridge) was the only Crusader to register multiple hits as he went 2-for-4.

Barczi’s hit and RBI were the first of his collegiate career.

Starter Tanner Graham allowed one run on three hits over four innings, before Carson Jones took over and earned the win with 4 2/3 one-run, three-hit innings in relief. It was Jones first victory of the season, setting up Lowery’s first save.

Next Up

The Crusaders will look to salvage something in the series on Sunday at noon CT as Grant Inman takes the mound for Valpo. Live video is available for this series courtesy of UAB Athletics, but a subscription is required. Links to live video and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.